Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship
WABE
Atlanta
,
GA
Application Deadline: Friday, May 27, 2022
Description
WABE is a non-profit organization formally called Atlanta Educational Telecommunications Collaborative, Inc. (AETC). As a
broadcast service, WABE is comprised of WABE90.1 and WABETV. For more information on the broadcast service,
programming and opportunities, please visit www.wabe.org
Job Title: Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship
The Membership Team enables WABE to carry out its public media mission by raising monthly and annual contributions
from individuals for TV, Radio, and Digital program support, as well as special projects at WABE. The Membership Team is
responsible for relationship building through campaigns and direct response solicitations, member engagement, and events
to provide WABE with the economic resources to pursue its mission. To meet and exceed revenue goals, the Membership
Team coordinates with all other departments at WABE, as well as multiple external vendors, as appropriate.
The Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship is a leader in the Membership Team, reporting to the Senior Vice
President of Membership & Business Development. This role will help bridge the gap between Membership, Sustainers,
Cornerstone Society major giving, helping to move donors through the fundraising pipeline while supporting the overall
WABE Membership strategies.
The Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to engage,
solicit, and steward prospective and current donors across WABE multi-channel campaigns. WABE multi-channel
campaigns include radio, television, podcasts, digital, direct mail, email, targeted ads, telephone, and texting, as well as
targeted programming to retain and upgrade donors. The Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship is responsible for
designing stewardship strategies for all WABE donors, developing loyalty societies, and stewarding donors to specific
campaigns or projects. In addition, they design stewardship programs and cultivation events for monthly Sustainers and
mid-level donors.
The Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship will work closely with vendors and membership department directors to
conceptualize fresh, integrated stewardship campaigns, events and appeals.
This position oversees the Events & Stewardship Senior Coordinator as well as relationships with external vendors and
consultants that support the work year-round. This position will also stay in tune with national benchmarking data, attend
public media webinars, learn from colleagues at other public radio and tv stations, and make presentations at meetings and
conferences.
Accountabilities:
• Lead the planning, management, and implementation of programs designed to enhance and strengthen WABE’s
relationships with annual donors and monthly Sustainers, with special focus on mid-level.
• Design Stewardship program that includes donor acknowledgment, stewardship reporting, donor recognition, donor
engagement, or events.
• Lead goal-setting for programs and evaluation of outcomes and effectiveness of donor relations activities.
• Utilize today’s most effective practices of public media donor stewardship while testing new innovative approaches.
• Conduct state-of-the-system research on PBS and NPR sites a well as Pledge Chat, Greater Public, Trac Media, etc. for
best practices for membership programs and stewardship.
• Network with other stations to develop and test new concepts for membership program stewardship opportunities.
• Strategize, plan, implement and evaluate stewardship campaigns and events to encourage new, renewed and upgraded
mid-level and Sustainer donations from listeners, viewers, streamers, subscribers and fans.
• Create yearly plans to meet revenue and expense budget goals, including setting and sharing campaign dates, and
brainstorming new techniques that will be tested.
• Work closely with the Digital Fundraising manager to develop the strategy for complimentary digital campaigns.
• Set up timelines and project plans to ensure that all assets and initiatives can be executed on time on each WABE
channel.
• Provide regular updates about campaign performance and write a full review of each major campaign, providing insights
into budget impact and sharing insights about campaign performance that shape future planning.
• Work with marketing staff and direct marketing vendor to develop core messaging/scripting for all on-air and digital
stewardship campaigns and spots.
• Work with Director of On Air and Digital Fundraising to produce support spots for donor stewardship campaigns.
• Coordinate development and creation of graphics and materials to promote stewardship campaigns.
Program Management
• With the Sustainer Circle team, implements and oversees all strategies and messaging to mid-level donors and Sustaiers
across all channels of communications, focusing on both engagement and fundraising, including welcome packages,
newsletters, event invitations, recapture efforts, upgrades, and acknowledgments.
• Creates a multi-year approach to grow the Sustainer Circle program to increase retention, upgrades, and acquisition.
• Personally thank all mid-level donors and welcome new Sustainer Circle donors.
• Cultivate and solicit donors in person, over the phone, via email, and direct mail to renew and increase their support.
• Develops and implements strategies to grow and improve donor discovery, cultivation, and stewardship.
• Identify, cultivate, and solicit new Sustainer Circle prospects from the pool of current members.
• Help to identify new mid-level donor prospects, working with the major giving team to cultivate deeper relationships.
• Document donor contacts in our CRM following established protocols
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
• Preferably 8+ years of public media fundraising experience.
• 5+ years of donor relations and Sustainer program management experience.
• Successful candidates will possess strong organizational, written, and verbal communication skills and possess the
ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Must be able to write strong, compelling messages for donor-centered campaigns.
• Ability to analyze fundraising results and amend strategies/plans based on findings.
• Strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills with the ability to navigate a complex work environment.
• Commitment to delivering excellent internal and external customer service.
• Ability to work collaboratively to design and build a new program from the ground up.
• Experience working with various technologies including advanced knowledge and experience with Microsoft Office
Suite, database and project management software, and CRM systems.
• Prior experience in fundraising, donor engagement, event design, in a non-profit, or a public media setting.
• Ability to manage and inspire teams to work collaboratively.
• Desire to support and promote an inclusive work environment and cultivate strong, productive relationships across
internal WABE departments.
• Ability to manage staff and lead vendors and freelancers.
• Must be able to reprioritize projects quickly based on changing needs and new opportunities.
• A curious mind and natural desire to develop, test and evaluate new strategies is essential.
• Strong multi-tasker and ability to produce products from start to finish effectively under pressure and meet
deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal skills, team-player and flexibility to change course.
• Previous mentoring, training, supervisory, and budget/financial management experience.
Work Environment & Physical Demands: The physical demands and work environment described here are representative
of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable
accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Individuals may
need to sit or stand as needed. May require walking primarily on a level surface for periodic periods throughout the day.
Reaching above shoulder heights, below the waist or lifting as required (up to 5 lbs.), filing documents or store materials
throughout the workday. Proper lifting techniques required. For the most part ambient room temperatures, lighting and
traditional office equipment as found in a typical office environment. Position, at least initially, will be located off-site in
accordance with station policy on off-site work for most staff in response to coronavirus. Candidates must be willing and
able to work from home but provide their own transportation to the station once off-site work conditions are lifted.
Occasional evening and weekend work may be required to support departmental events or during high volume work
periods (typically radio pledge drives).